Giraffe Born at Rio Grande Zoo

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:00 PM

The ABQ BioPark welcomed a newborn reticulated giraffe calf on Thursday, May 21 at 4:55pm. The male calf was born to 14-year-old Kashka and 10-year-old Buccaneer. Dozens of visitors witnessed the birth and the newborn’s first steps about 30 minutes later.

Standing and walking are important first milestones for calves. Giraffes are native to the savanna (grasslands) of Africa, where even newborns must be able to elude hungry predators. A newborn giraffe is between five and six feet tall--just tall enough to nurse from its mother. Calves weigh between 120-150 pounds at birth.

This is Kashka’s 6th calf and the first giraffe born at the zoo since the summer of 2007. Mother and calf are doing well and can be seen at the Zoo’s giraffe exhibit. Additional photos available at www.flickr.com/abqbiopark.